The Cavaliers spent the early part of this season learning how fast a lead can vanish. On Monday night, they flipped the script.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 26 points, James Harden added 19, and Cleveland outlasted the previously unbeaten Timberwolves 127-125 in overtime at Rocket Arena. It wasn’t clean, and Anthony Edwards made sure of that with a 47-point night, but the Cavs found enough answers down the stretch to move to 2-1. Minnesota fell to 3-1.
Cleveland’s comeback came after it had already dug a 15-point hole in the second quarter. This time, though, the pressure was coming from the Cavaliers after halftime, and Harden said the difference was a steadier, more purposeful second half.
“We’re a little clunky offensively right now. Hopefully we can smooth that out,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said.
“No one panics in (the locker room). No high emotions or anything.”
Harden was even more direct when asked whether defense needs to define this team.
“Every night,” he said, then repeated it. “Every night.”
The Cavs also got a huge lift from Meleek Thomas, who scored 16 points in his NBA debut. The No. 34 overall pick looked right at home, and Atkinson made it clear the team’s confidence in him was never in doubt.
“It was just a gut feeling. I thought, ‘We need that guy in the lineup,’” Atkinson said. “Since the day we drafted him we were bullish on him.”
Harden’s biggest basket came with 10.4 seconds left in regulation, when he hit the floater that forced overtime. Mitchell then took over late in the extra period, scoring five points and burying a fadeaway jumper with 48 seconds remaining to put Cleveland ahead for good.
Minnesota still had chances to steal it. LaMelo Ball missed two free throws late, Edwards missed an open three after the Timberwolves got the rebound, and Peyton Watson finally gave Cleveland a little cushion with two free throws on the other end.
Evan Mobley finished with 18 points for the Cavs, who now carry consecutive wins into Wednesday’s home game against the Wizards.
The issues are still there. But after two games of watching leads slip away, Cleveland finally got one where its own stubbornness belonged to somebody else.
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Donovan Mitchell Saved The Cavs In A Game Fans Won't Forget
The Cavaliers needed every bit of Donovan Mitchell on a night when Minnesota kept pushing them to the edge, and the result was the kind of overtime win that can linger with a team for a while. Cleveland escaped with a 127-125 victory after Mitchell led the way with 26 points, while Anthony Edwards poured in 47 for the Timberwolves in a game that never really let up.
Meleek Thomas also gave the Cavs a fresh storyline in his NBA debut, contributing offensively as Cleveland found just enough support around Mitchell to survive. With the game hanging in the balance deep into the fourth quarter and overtime, the Cavs had to lean hard on their star, and the kind of finish they pulled out is the sort of thing fans will remember long after the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Rookie Meleek Thomas Just Gave Cleveland A Real Bench Question
Meleek Thomas didnt need long to make his first regular-season impression. In his debut against the Timberwolves, the Cavaliers rookie guard stepped in and immediately showed the scoring pop that made him a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, giving Cleveland a spark off the bench while the team was sitting at 1-1.
Thomas got into the action right away and brought some real life to a unit that can use more reliable offense. His ability to stretch the floor was on display, and his quick burst gave the Cavs something to think about as they sort out who can provide steady minutes behind the main rotation. For a rookie trying to earn a spot in the conversation, that kind of start matters. [Read more 🡒]
Meleek Thomas Just Put Pressure On A Tough Cavs Decision
Meleek Thomas arrived with the kind of debut that tends to get a front office thinking. In Clevelands 129-127 overtime win over Minnesota, the Cavaliers 2026 second-round pick gave the bench a real jolt, scoring efficiently and bringing the kind of active, disruptive defense that can swing a tight game. For a team always trying to squeeze value out of the back end of the roster, it was the sort of first impression that can quickly change a players standing.
The bigger issue now is less about one good night than what it means for the group around him. Cleveland has been searching for dependable depth, and Thomas looked like someone who could make that conversation a little more complicated than expected. If his role keeps growing, the Cavs may have to weigh not just his development, but how much room there is for everyone else on a roster where the margins are already thin. [Read more 🡒]